The Future

doi:10.1117/3.2582796.ch6

The Future

Book: Introducing Photonics

Author(s): Brian Culshaw

Published: 2020

https://doi.org/10.1117/3.2582796.ch6

Author Affiliations +

Abstract

Light, as we have seen, has being intriguing features. We think of it as generated and detected as particles, namely photons, but these particles are transmitted as waves (or sometimes can be accurately modelled as rays). The wavelengths of these waves are typically submicrometre. Most of the current prospects for photonic systems lie in combining the concepts of electromagnetic waves and photons with the ever expanding capability to manipulate materials and material structures to optically subwavelength tolerances. Specifying dimensions to nanometre precision is no longer wishful thinking.